Engine Mercedes OM616

The 2.4-liter in-line diesel engine Mercedes OM616 was produced from 1973 to 1992 and was installed both on mid-size models such as W115, W123, and on the Geländewagen SUV. This power unit was seriously upgraded in 1978, so there are two versions of it.

The diesel R4-family includes: OM616, OM601, OM604, OM611, OM640, OM646, OM651, OM654, OM668.

The ancestor of the 4-cylinder diesel series, the 1.9-liter OM621 engine, appeared in 1958. In 1968, it was replaced by a newer power unit of the OM615 series with a volume of 2.0 and 2.2 liters. Finally, in 1973, the 2.4-liter engine of the OM616 line debuted. The design of this atmospheric vortex-chamber diesel engine was classic for that time: a cast-iron cylinder block with liners, a cast-iron 8-valve cylinder head without hydraulic lifters and a double-row timing chain that rotates a single camshaft, as well as an in-line Bosch M high-pressure fuel pump.

In 1974, on the basis of this power unit, a 5-cylinder engine of the OM617 series was created.

Specifications

The engine was installed on:

• Mercedes E-Class W115 in 1973 – 1976; E-Class W123 in 1976 – 1986;
• Mercedes G-Class W460 in 1979 – 1987;
• Mercedes MB100 W631 in 1988 – 1992;
• Mercedes T1-Series W601 in 1982 – 1988; T2-Series W602 in 1986 – 1989.

Disadvantages of the OM616 engine

• This is a very reliable and hardy diesel engine with just a huge resource and the most famous weak point is the rear crankshaft seal in the form of packing, which often leaks, which can lead to oil starvation and expensive repairs.
• At Bosch M injection pumps with vacuum control, the rack drive membrane often breaks, but the pumps of the updated units of the MW and M/RSF series no longer have this problem. Also, due to the wear of the seals, the booster pump may unexpectedly fail.
• Despite the fact that the motor is equipped with a double-row timing chain, it does not last very long. They change it about once every 200 – 250 thousand km, often together with dampers and stars.